Brenda’s Bigger Burgers may have achieved a lasting place in film history by through cameo appearance in the Peter Fonda film, “Fighting Mad,” but the burgers at Hoot’s Drive-In were far, far better.
And while it is a crime against Fayetteville’s Cultural Heritage that the building which once housed Brenda’s has been demolished, well, Hoot’s still had better burgers.
Reading the obituaries this week, I came across the notice of the death of Wayne “Hoot” Gibson, who died at the age of 84, which brought forth a flood of memories going back decades.
Burger places come and go, and when most of them pass we may miss them briefly – if at all – but just the very thought of one of the burgers on the menu at Hoot’s Drive-In can still make one’s mouth water, and memories of the taste of one fill the hungry soul.
Mr. Burger may shutter its doors and turn off the grills for the last time, but I doubt that they ever came within an inch of the quality of Hoot’s offerings.
I don’t even eat burgers all that often anymore, but I’d gladly go for one of the burgers from Hoot’s right now – especially as I am writing this piece.
It’s hard to describe the taste to someone who never gripped one of the burgers from Hoot’s in his hungry mitts, but their taste and texture linger on in the cells of your body, even years after they closed.
Over the years a number of eateries have occupied the building since Hoot’s shut down in the late 1990s. but every time I pass by, I think of the great cheeseburgers I had over the years.
Sometimes in the middle of the day you’d get a hankering for a burger, and even though other burger joints may have been nearer, you’d head straight for Hoot’s.
You can keep your chain restaurants; Hoot’s was one of the places which came to symbolize Fayetteville, and Wayne Gibson and his wife Betty (who were married for 59 years) helped make Fayetteville a better place to live in, simply by offering the quality of food they did.
So this one is for you, Wayne Gibson, and your widow, Betty. You both helped make Fayetteville the community it is today.
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Today’s Soundtrack
Today’s blog was written with the considerable aid of the CD “Video Games Live: Level 2,” featuring music from The legend of Zelda, World of EWarcraft, Final Fantasy and Halo, among others.
Don’t be a snob; check this one out. You’ll be a better person for it.
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On the Air with Kyle Kellams
Now on YouTube – my interview with KUAF’s KYLE KELLAMS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30iyXx0_6go
“On the Air with Richard S. Drake” celebrates 25 years on the air in 2016.
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Quote of the Day
There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts. – Charles Dickens
rsdrake@cox.net